The Rockets Are Looking For A Quick Bounce Back

The Houston Rockets battled the reigning champions to a double-overtime contest that resulted in a defeat in game one for the Rockets. Moving into their second game, they're looking for the same level of success for the offense and better results for the defense. Both goals are easier said than done, as the Detroit Pistons are a difficult matchup to seek a bounce-back game against.

The Rockets showed their ability to score, even in the waning stages of the game.

Alperen Sengun opened his regular season with one of his best games as a Rocket, knocking down shots in critical moments to keep Houston alive near the end of the game.

Alex Caruso often found himself guarding Sengun in the late stages of the opening night game. Caruso is a capable defender, but that's a bit of a mismatch against a big man as skilled as Sengun. The one-on-one coverage near the end of the game allowed Sengun to get to his spots and finish at a high level over the smaller defender.

The Pistons have Isaiah Stewart, one of the strongest players in the league and a quality defender. Jalen Duren is also another big man the Pistons can throw at Sengun defensively.

When the offense can't flow through Sengun, Kevin Durant will need to step in to make big shots over quality defense, as he is looking for a bounce-back game of his own.

Durant played well in the opener, albeit a few lapses near the end of regulation and the second overtime. He consistently hit tough shots and created good offense for himself by utilizing screens and off-ball movement.

The main issue was that Durant was not able to get the ball in dangerous positions due to the Rockets' inability to pass to him effectively on the perimeter.

Part of that was due to excellent defense from Lu Dort, and another part due to tentative passing from Reed Sheppard, another player looking to bounce back in a big way heading into game two.

A lot of Houston's hopes this season depend on either Sheppard or Amen Thompson leveling up their playmaking abilities and becoming a safe option the Rockets can trust in half-court situations. One can see the creativity both players have with their passing; however, they both make risky decisions that are difficult to complete against elite defenses.

The Pistons have an elite defense led by Thompson's twin brother, Ausar. Handling the ball will be a difficult task, even with Ausar likely matching up against Durant for most of the game.

The Rockets proved they can compete at a high level in game one. They'll need to do the same in their second game of the season and deliver the first win of a new era.